Today's News: Our Take - Amanda Righetti Confirms Mentalist Exit

Amanda Righettihas spoken out for the first time since reports surfaced that she was exitingThe Mentalist."I feel like the time is probably right," Righetti, who plays Van Pelt on the CBS drama, toldTVLine. "It's the end of one thing but ...

Owain Yeoman, who plays Rigsby, will be leaving alongside Righetti, though the actress isn't sure of how their exit will play out yet. "It keeps changing," she explained. "It's been a little bit of a fly-by-the-seat-of-our-pants season. I think it was sort of an unexpected turn for the writers too, to have the show kind of be reworked this season. So everybody's kind of trying to figure it out. And [they're] probably keeping it close to the vest so it comes as a surprise to everyone that is watching."

Righetti and Rigsby will appear when The Mentalist returns Dec. 1 in an episode that picks up two years after the conclusion of the Red John mystery. "Basically, they have their own private security company," she reveals. "So we sort of are outsourced and freelanced with the FBI, and that's how we fit in."